Tongs



Oct. 29, 1940. v R. J. HARRY 2,219,479

ToNGs I Filed May 29. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l I* INJ/NTORQ ROBERT J.,H4/eef E" M5 oRNEY R: J. HARRY Oct. 29, 1940.

TONGS .Filed May 29, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. $05557" J H45 EY,@a

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the construction oftongs to increase their gripping power for lifting ingots or the like.

An object of this invention is to materially increase the initial gripof the tongs upon cold or hot top ingots.

The initial grip of the tongs upon the ingot is very important inhandling cold ingots or hot top ingots that cool very rapidly and,although the body of the ingot may be red hot, the top may be cool and,due to the taper, is very hard to grip. The initial grip upon the ingotof tongs now in practical use is obtained by the weight of the operatingrod and the crosshead. While eiective to a; considerable extent, thisdoes not insure positive gripping of the cold ingot, and elimination ofthe existing danger' of having the ingot slip from the tongs afterhaving been hoisted into the air for removal to the soaking pits.However, under the present invention, the initial gripping power of thetongs upon the cold ingot is materially increased, and the possibledanger of the ingot slipping from the tongs is eliminated.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the operating mechanism of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a section on line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line IlI-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of another form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a side View of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Figure 4.

In the drawings, the numeral 2 represents overhead track supportingframes upon which are positioned rails or tracks 3. Any conventionaltype of wheels 4 are suitably supported on opposite ends of a trolleyframe 5, and are adapted to be positioned on the rails 3 whereby saidtrolley frame may be moved thereover. The trolley frame is provided withan opening within which a relatively heavy travelling column 6 isvertically movabley said column comprising one of the essential elementsof my improved tongs.

A main hoisting drum I, suitably mounted on said trolley frame, isprovidedwith two sets of cables 8 and 9. The cables 8 extend aroundsheave wheels IU which are directly connected to a tong operating andsupporting rod l2 movably disposed vertically and centrally within thecolumn 6. The other ends of cables 8 are deadended at I4 to said trolleyframe 5 and, in order to prevent shock to the crane, this dead-@ndconnection is usually provided with springs l5? adapted to absorb anyshock.

The other set of cables 9 extends around sheave wheels I6 which arecarried by the travelling column 6, said cables being wound upon atongs-operating drum I1 journalled in a support I8 carried by thetrolley frame 5, thereby providing an actuating means for raising andlowering said column. The column G is provided with elongated apertures25 which permit bearings of 10 the sheaves I6 to slide verticallytherein, permitting relative vertical movement of said Vsheaves andcolumn torelease the weight of the latter as hereinafter described. .f

Mounted upon the lower end of said operating 15 rod I2 is a cam I9preferably in the form of oppositely disposed carri-ways or channels 2bpositioned and arranged divergently downward and slidably receivingfollowers or slide-blocks 2l carried by the upper ends of the tong gripsor tongs 20 proper 22. The said tongs 22 are pivotally mounted onopposite `sides of the lower end of the column 6 below the cam means I9and are provided on their depending terminal ends with bits 23 to engageand grip an ingot`24 or the like 25 therebetween.

In operation, the drum Il is actuated to raise sheaves IB and column 6with the tongs proper 22, so as,to support the weight of the column andmove slide-blocks 2| of the tongs inwardly 30 and upwardly within theircam-ways 2li to open the tongs. 'I'he drum 'I is then operated to lowerthe entire tong assembly to position the tong grips 22 over the end ofan ingot or other work 24 to be lifted. 35

In such position, the drum 1 is stopped, thereby supporting the rod I2with its cam I9 immediately over or with a provided terminal anvil I3 incontact with the top ofthe ingot. With the position of the rod and camthus fixed, drum I1 40 is operated to lower the column 6, whereby theterminal ends of the tong grips 22 are contracted by the outwardmovement of theirI upper portions due to the travel of theirslide-blocks 2l in the downwardly diverging cam-ways 2U. 45

As the said grips engage the ingot or the like, the downward movement ofthe column 6 imparts the entire weight of said column to the closingmovement of the grips through the cam action described, to provide asubstantial initial 50 grip in direct proportion to the weight of thecolumn. 'I'he downward travel of column 6 is arrested upon engagement ofthe grips and ingot, and further downward travel of the sheaves I6 inthe vertical slots 25 in the column 6 re-.ligl

leases the full weight of the column upon said cam and grip mechanism.The lost motion travel of the sheaves I6 in said slots 25 also serves tomaintain the cable taut under the weight of said sheaves, to maintainthe proper relation thereof for further operation.

Upon gripping the ingot in the manner described, the drum 'l is drivento raise the tong assembly and ingot, the cables S and 9 being wound onthe same drum without altering their relationship to the tong-grippingmechanism, the weight of the tongs and ingot being supported by thecables 8 and rod i2 while being raised.

To release the tongs, the drum Il is operated to raise sheaves IG toengage their bearings with the upper ends of the slots 25 and thence toraise the column E, whereupon the tong grips are opened `by the reverseaction of the cam-ways 2t. Upon releasing the tongs, the drum l may beoperated to raise or lower the entire assembly as described.

In the showing of Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, the operation of the columnt and tongs 22 is the same as that shown and described in Figures 1 to3, inclusive, except in this showing, the tongs can be revolved in thecolumn as will be hereinafter described.

Mounted in suitable bearings upon the outside 0f said travelling column6 is a shaft 26 adapted to be driven by any conventional means forimparting rotation to a gear wheel 2i which is constantly in mesh with agear wheel 28 keyed on a rotatable member 29. Suitable bearings supportthe rotatable member 29 within the column 8. The rotatable member 29 isprovided with a central vertical opening through which said operatingrod I2 is adapted to move in order to be raised or lowered by said setof cables 8 when the main hoisting drum l' is operated. The shroud ofthe sheave wheels H3 supports the end of said operating rod l2 forswivel movement when said tong assembly is rotated by the gear wheels 21and 28.

'Ihe rotatable member 29 extends below the end of said column S to forma housing 32 which is adapted to enclose the sliding block I9, guides 2Uand members 2l carried by the ends of said tong grips 22. This housingis provided with a shoulder 33 abutting the surface of the lower bearingmember 30 which permits a rotative movement of the tongs 22 independentof the column 5.

Under such a construction, it is possible not only to obtain theimproved initial gripping action of the tongs upon the ingot ashereinbeiore described, but `also aiords a means whereby the ingot maybe rotated after having been gripped by the tongs, or if desired, thetongs may be rotated to properly position them for gripping an ingot.

While I have shown and described a specific' embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limitedexactly thereto since various modications may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1, Tongs including a pair of relatively movable members. movable tonggrips mounted on one of said members and cam means on the other memberadapted to be engaged by the tong grips to impart a gripping movement tothe latter, means for suspending one of said members, and means forlowering and releasing the other member, said cam means and gripscoacting to support the weight of said released member and exert agripping force between the grips in proportion to said weight.

2. Tongs including a vertically movable column, tong grips pivotallymounted on the column, an operating rod having cam means thereon adaptedto be engaged by the grips to impart a gripping movement to the latter,means for suspending the operating rod, and means for lowering andreleasing the column, said cam Ieans and tong grips coacting to supportthe weight of said column and exert a gripping force between the gripsin proportion to said weight.

3. Tongs including a vertically movable column, tong grips pivotallymounted on the column, an operating rod having cam means thereon adaptedto be engaged by the grips to impart a gripping movement to the latter,means for suspending the operating rod, means for lowering and releasingthe column, said cam means and tong grips coacting to support the weightof said column and exert a gripping force between the grips inproportion to said weight, and means for simultaneously raising orlowering the operating rod and column while maintaining their relativepositions and the said gripping force between the tong grips.

4. Tongs including a vertically movable column, tong grips pivotallymounted on the column, an operating rod having cam means thereon adaptedto be engaged by the grips to impart a gripping movement to the latter,cables and a sheave supporting the operating rod, and cables and asheave supporting the column, means forI driving the column cables tolower said column, means providing for lost motion between said columnand its sheave to release the column from support by its cables, saidcam means and tong grips coacting to support the weight of the columnupon the release thereof and exert a gripping force between the grips inproportion to said weight, and a drive for all of said cables forsimultaneously raising or lowering the operating rod and column whilemaintaining their relative positions and the said gripping force betweenthe tong grips;

5. Tongs including a vertically movable column, an operating roddisposed centrally within the column, a pair of downwardly divergentcamways carred by said rod, a pair of tong elements pivotally mounted onand adjacent the lower end of the column, said elements having portionsabove their pivots slidable in the cam-ways and having gripping portionsdepending below the column, means for suspending the operating rods andmeans for lowering and releasing the column, whereby the cam-ways andtong elements coact to support the weight of the column, the cam-waysactuating the tong elements to exert a gripping force between their grippor'- tions in proportion to the weight of the column.

6. Tongs including an operating rod, a vertically movable columnassociated therewith and carrying a pair of movable tong grips, cam

means on the operating rod engageable by the tong grips to impart agripping movement thereto, means for lowering the column and the gripswith the latter in engagement with the cam means,v and means forreleasing the column in lowered position whereby the weight thereof isapplied to the gripping movement of the tong grips.

7. Tongs including an operating rod, a vertically movable columnassociated therewith and carrying a pair of movable tong grips, cammeans on the operating rod engageable by the tong Vgrips to impart agripping movement thereto,

4meansy means for releasing the column in lowered position whereby theweight thereof is applied to the gripping movement of the tong grips,and means for raising or lowering the operating rod while maintainingthe relative position of said rod and the column tomaintain the grippingforce between the tong grips.

8. In a device of the class described, a supporting column, an operatingrod in said column, means for vertically moving said operating rod, arotatable member within said column, said rotatable member provided witha housing extending beyond the end of said column, tongs pivotallymounted on said housing, means for moving the tongsl about their pivotfor gripping an ingot when the column is lowered, and means formaintaining the grip upon the ingot when the operating rod is raised.

ROBERT J. HARRY.

